What amazes me about people is that even though some are faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, they move ahead with courage and hope.

I’m inspired by their dreams and their determination to press on. I recently met one such individual in the little mountain community of Volcano, California.

Dorothy Stiegler is not your typical sixty-something woman who quietly waits to retire so she can sit in her rocker. She is a seasoned and renowned blacksmith artist who loves to hammer raw iron or bronze into beautiful pieces of functional art. She loves riding motorcycles and relishes working outdoors in her vineyard and rock garden.

I first met Dorothy while visiting her church as a guest speaker on a warm summer day. Something about her demeanor hinted that she was living the dream God had planted in her heart, so I wanted to know more. What I learned is that Dorothy’s life has not been easy and that over the years God has patiently led her through some very difficult times. One such moment occurred when she was in her twenties. Looking back now, she firmly believes that God saved her life.

It happened in late February of 1974 near Olympia, Washington, where Dorothy lived with her husband and 5-year-old son, Grant. She was a pretty, slim young woman who had long flowing red hair that hung below her waist and was parted down the middle.

A Visit to the Park

That day Dorothy took Grant to the park close to their home. Priest Point Park is located along the lower Olympic Peninsula coastline, just outside Olympia, and has one full mile of saltwater shoreline. The 314-acre park has steep ravines, cliffs, boardwalk style walkways and extensive old growth timber. It is a truly spectacular paradise of adventure for a 5-year-old boy.

Upon entering the park, Dorothy noticed they were practically the only people there. Except for one other car, the parking lot was empty. They played on the swings and walked the winding remote paths from one area of the huge park to another.

The only other person in the park was a well-dressed businessman. Quite striking, he almost seemed out of place. When she first noticed him, he had on a red plaid hunter jacket over his neatly pressed clothes. As Dorothy and Grant swung higher and higher, the man watched as her long hair drug in the sand.

As they continued to move throughout the park enjoying their play, Dorothy noticed the man observing them, although he was no longer wearing the plaid jacket but was now wearing a light-yellow, button-up shirt, pleated khaki slacks, and dress shoes. Wherever she and Grant went, the man seemed to be nearby. It was almost as if he was following them. His gaze made Dorothy uneasy. Assuming she was being oversensitive, she brushed it off.

As time went by, Dorothy felt the man was genuinely watching her, giving her a growing sense of discomfort. Taking Grant’s hand, she said, “Let’s go play on the cannons!” As they ran along the path towards the cliff above the channel, Dorothy prayed to God for a sign; “Dear God, if this man means to do us harm, let there be a large ship in the Sound.” She felt safe with this prayer because in all the times she had come to the park, she had never seen a large ship anywhere near that area. Certainly, if one were there, it would be a sign from God.

As they approached the cannons, high on the cliff overlooking the water, the largest ship Dorothy had ever seen sat directly in front of her. It was a huge freighter, dead center in the middle of the channel, directly below where she stood. The ship sighting was so completely unusual that she felt, surely, it was just a fluke. She ignored the direct answer to prayer, the warning sign of danger.

Trying not to alarm her son, she said, “Grant, let’s go down to the beach!” The single path down to the beach was steep and slippery. It had been carved by the brave and adventurous who wanted to descend the more than 200 feet to the water below. Carefully, Grant and Dorothy made their way to the beach. They played among the driftwood and kelp piles that remained behind when the tide retreated.

Suddenly, the man was there on the beach between them and the trail up to the park. He lounged at the trail head, puffing on his pipe, looking out at the water. She could see his brown eyes, shadowed by his dark brown hair, looking passively in her direction. He was tall, about 6 foot, give or take. “He’s a very handsome man,” she noted, attempting to convince herself that he wasn’t a threat.

Although he did not approach her, Dorothy felt increasingly unsettled by his presence. She tried to convince herself that she was over-reacting, being unreasonably concerned. “Maybe it’s only a coincidence that he happens to be here, standing between us and the path back up to the park,” she thought.

After spending a few minutes at the beach, and half-heartily convincing herself that the man was benign, Dorothy felt she needed to head for home.

The trail was the obvious route from the beach back to the parking lot. She reasoned that he would probably step aside if she were to try to go past him, but something deep within told her not to go near him. There was an alternative route–a steep cliff nearby that could be scaled if one was willing to put forth the effort. Dorothy thought this could be disguised as a fun adventure for Grant, for she did not want to alarm him. Grabbing his hand she said, “Let’s go climb a mountain,” in a tone she hoped sounded cheerful.

Even though Grant was only 5 years-old, with Dorothy pushing him uphill, he was able to climb the steep cliff. It felt like an eternity to reach the top, but the alternate route gave Dorothy the time she needed; they moved quickly toward the parking lot.

At the parking lot, Grant wanted to have a pine cone war, and despite her better judgment, she conceded. Dorothy kept an eye out for the man as they threw pine cones back and forth, but he was nowhere in sight. She felt relieved that her fears had not materialized, so they continued their war, dodging and darting about. They drifted toward a very large old growth Western Cedar tree.

Eminent Danger

Suddenly, the man jumped from behind the tree, just three feet from her, and looked her squarely in the eyes. What Dorothy saw sent chills through her entire being. His eyes were flat, cold and devoid of anything human. Without question, he was a predator, she was his prey, and he was ready to capture her. Her blood ran cold, the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She wet her pants. She was terrified!

The world around her moved in slow motion, but Dorothy reacted instantly. She turned, ran toward Grant, grabbed his hand said, “I’ll race you to the car.”

They ran so fast it was as though they flew to the car, easily 500 yards away. She sensed the man racing right behind them. Flinging open the driver-side door, that was thankfully left unlocked, Dorothy threw Grant over to the passenger seat so hard, his little body rebounded off the window. Slamming the door, she bolted the locks, and quickly started the engine. She could hear the engine of his car roaring in her ears as she ducked her head and sped away.

Dorothy raced her little Corvair the 2 miles to the Olympia Sporting Goods store owned by her husband Ed’s parents. She ran into the store, dragging Grant behind her. Ed and his father were gunsmiths and worked closely with the local law enforcement. There were always two or three Olympia City policemen in the store and that day was no exception.

As Dorothy stammered out her story to her family and the policemen, they laughed and made jokes about it. They said things like, “If you weren’t so friendly…” and “If you weren’t so pretty…” and “ You’re such a flirt, you probably imagined it all…” They heard her words, but not one of them actually listened.

They blamed her for the encounter. No one wrote down a single word of her story. Over the months following the incident, Dorothy’s family and friends took opportunity to tease her, saying things such as “Seen any more good-looking, scary men?”

It was the most frightening encounter that Dorothy had ever had. Who was that man, and why was he after her? Although she told her family, the police, and her friends, describing in detail the event, Dorothy wondered why no one believed her?

Then the local paper reported the abduction of Donna Manson, a young woman from Evergreen State College. She was never found. At the time, the Lake Sammash abductions hadn’t happened. With the exception of one woman from the University of Washington and Donna Manson, no one was missing from other college campuses around the state. No one was looking for a serial killer.

As time went on, several abductions and gruesome murders of young women took place in Washington State by a serial killer calling himself Ted. Still, no one saw any connection between the park incident and these murders.

The Moment of Truth

About 18 months later, Dorothy ran up the stairs from the sporting goods store to the kitchen. On the table was the Daily Olympian newspaper. The front page ran a photo of a man who had been captured and suspected of the now infamous “Ted” murders. She nearly fainted. “That’s the guy!! That’s the man who followed me in the park!” She knew that this was the man who had stalked her and intended her harm.

“That can’t be,” her family scoffed, “That’s Ted Bundy, the serial killer.” “I don’t know who he is,” Dorothy insisted, “but that is the man in the park.”

Dorothy believes that she may have been one of the few victims to escape Ted Bundy’s grasp. Police later re-interviewed her. They concluded that, initially, Bundy was not leaving witnesses and that, in all likelihood, the presence of her son Grant could very well have saved her life. Additionally, they believed that, had he killed her, Donna Manson would be alive today.

Why Donna Manson was taken while Dorothy was spared is a mystery. But Dorothy is certain that God spared her life for a reason. This is why she dedicates her life to serving Him each day.

Like this:

When I was growing up, my weekends felt boring and ritualistic. Since my dad is a pastor, we went to church, and then my parents spent the better part of the afternoon taking a nap. But that isn’t what I wanted to do after church. I wanted to explore in God’s beautiful world with my friends, not entertain myself while my parents slept. One weekend after the service ended, my best friend, Cody, said, “Want to come hiking with my family this afternoon?”

Yes! Finally I would escape the boredom I knew awaited me if I went home. This was my opportunity to explore and have the adventure I had been waiting for. I happily accepted Cody’s invitation, and we all piled into his family’s sedan and drove into the heart of the El Dorado National Forest.

We headed for our favorite hiking trail. We loved it because the hike ended on the top of a peak in the Sierra Nevada mountain range that had a panoramic view of the Sacramento Valley. Its crowning feature was an eight-story waterfall — fueled by a large river — that cascaded over the edge of a cliff and fell onto boulders at the foot of the mountain. It both scared me and drew me in.

Cody’s family had a border collie that they brought along. After we pulled to a stop, he leaped out of the car shivering with energy and excitement. I adored him. I had never owned a dog, despite my obsession with them. As we set off on our hike, I followed behind him, watching him explore and sniff at the base of rocks and tree stumps. As we neared the mountain’s summit, the border collie sensed that we were close to the rushing water that fueled the deafening falls, and he ran circles around us, wagging his tail in excitement. He saw the water first and sprinted toward it without hesitation, and I, caring for nothing but the chance to watch him leap in, ran full speed behind him to the water’s edge.

I changed pace to a light jog as the dog slowed down in search for a place to jump into the water. The banks of the river were made up of huge granite boulders covered in slimy green moss. To avoid slipping I played hop scotch, dodging moss-covered areas as I trotted along the riverbank. Suddenly, I heard yelling behind me. My friends were screaming words of warning to me. I whirled around to hear them better. As I turned, I put my foot directly on one of the slimy patches of wet moss. My feet slid out from under me and I fell back onto the slope of the boulder. As I slid down the steep face of the rock I felt a rush of pain. The rough and uneven surface of the boulder scraped against my back and shoulders, tearing my shirt and cutting into my skin making me bleed. I had only a millisecond to comprehend the perilous situation I was in before I plunged into the frigid current and was swept from safety.

Rushing water enveloped me. There were rocks everywhere jutting out of the river and I smashed helplessly against them as the current tossed me against everything in its way. No matter what I did, I couldn’t avoid the rocks. I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t call out for help. The current simply carried me away as if I were merely a piece of driftwood. “There’s nothing I can do to save myself,” I thought.

Every time I bobbed above the waterline, I could see that I was drawing closer and closer to the edge of the falls. Though I only had a few tangible thoughts, all of them were cries of fear and desperation. I was sure that I was going to die. Slamming against rocks, the rushing water and other river debris disoriented me and left bruises all over my body. The helpless struggle to stay above the water to avoid obstacles made me feel more exhausted than I had ever been. As the current swept me close to the edge where a watery abyss and certain death awaited me, I smashed into branches from a tree that had fallen and was submerged in the river. The branches entangled my arms and legs, keeping me from going over the falls. I was so exhausted that I couldn’t even pull myself out. All I could do was let the branches hold me safely long enough for my friends to make a human chain to reach me.

Until I get to heaven, I will not know if my guardian angel orchestrated the tree’s location and position. What I do know is this: God had a plan for me, a plan I had not yet discovered. He watches over me everywhere I go and keeps me safe, according to His will.

It was a warm summer day in 1975. I was living in Atlanta, Georgia, at the time teaching Social Studies. We lived in a town home in the suburbs which just happened to have a real nice community swimming pool. On this particular day my wife was at work.

It was in the middle of the day, about 1:00 p.m. I had eaten a light lunch and decided to go out and work on my suntan as I always made it a point to find time for a tan in the summer. There were a few mothers by the pool with their kids, and some others who were alone. After being in the sun for about 30 minutes, I felt a need to cool off for a bit, so I jumped into the pool. It felt mighty good in the Georgia sun. I was in for about 15 minutes and was fine.

After sunning for another 30-45 minutes, making sure I had used some good ‘ol tanning lotion, I thought it was time for another nice dip, perhaps a little longer this time. Now, I had been feeling a little weak the previous few days, but being a stubborn man sometimes, I thought I was OK. As I recall, I had taken a small bottle of water out with me and there was a drinking fountain near the pool by the restrooms. Evidently, I had not focused on making sure I was hydrated enough. After swimming around for about 30 minutes, I remembered feeling a little strange, but I more or less ignored it. By then all of the moms and the few children that had been at the pool were out of sight, back in their homes or at a nearby park.

I do not really remember when I passed out, but they say I must have fainted, blacked out completely, and I recall some cramping. I ended up being found floating in the water. One of the neighbor ladies had forgotten something at the pool and had come back to get it–a towel, book, or slippers–not sure now. She saw this body, thought I was dead, and called a local radio station to report my death as there was a reward of $100 dollars for the first one to report a death to this particular station. She then called her husband at work. He worked nearby and came immediately. Finally she called paramedics.

The neighbor man was an expert at CPR and was determined that though he could find no pulse, he was not going to give up. He kept working on me, and when the medics arrived, they were all working on me and eventually up came a ton of water and a faint pulse. By then the medics were there. They rushed me to a nearby hospital.

In the meantime someone at my wife’s work had heard an announcement on the local radio station that a man had died from drowning at our community, and when the lady heard my name, she rushed to tell my wife who then rushed home to find I was at the hospital alive.

They said I should have had some serious health issues from being under the water for an estimated 10-15 minutes. After being in the hospital for a week, I was discharged and have been fine, more or less, ever since. I am so very thankful that God spared me at that time and has given me many more years of life.

I am so thankful the neighbor lady had forgotten an item at the pool. I’m certain I would NOT be here today. I believe it was Providential.

The Lord was not finished with me, and as I recall I’m not sure I was read then. I’m still a work in progress, but praise God, in His great love and mercy He has given me many more years to love and serve Him. I praise Him every day for the gift of life and I seek to do His will daily. My family and I long for Him to come soon and take us home. Are you anxious and ready to go, my friend?

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. John 4:14. Many are suffering from maladies of the soul far more than from diseases of the body, and they will find no relief until they come to Christ, the wellspring of life…. Christ is the mighty Healer of the sin-sick soul

Rose’s Devotionals are prepared by Rose Hartwell, one of the Intercer founders. Since 1999, Rose sends out a daily devotional newsletter that includes a commentary on a Bible passage, a list of prayer requests for the current week and an illustration from daily life that applies to the Bible passage in study.

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